


Playing with fate

by cheonsaa



Category: Chinese Actor RPF, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: A whole LOT of misunderstandings, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom Lan Zhan, Bottom Wang Yi Bo, Bottom Wang Yi Bo/Top Xiao Zhan, Curses, Emotional Roller Coaster, Eventual Smut, Fate & Destiny, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Misunderstandings, More tags to be added, Past Character Death, Top Wei Wuxian, cause idk what im doing now, cause the past is messing up with reality, i made up a lot of stuff, this is not completely canon, xiao zhan is a mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:07:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24565885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheonsaa/pseuds/cheonsaa
Summary: Xiao Zhan is on the journey of finding a new house to move in with his girlfriend, Meng Ziyi. His new realtor is a bright and beautiful young man. The first time they met, Xiao Zhan felt a stabbing pain inside his chest and reoccurring flashbacks about the guy. The flashbacks are of them in historical clothing, like they have crossed paths in the past. Every one of those flashbacks causes his heart to wrench and he feels suffocated each time.The problem is he doesn’t understand why it’s only him feeling this pain and it’s not affecting the other guy at all.
Relationships: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian, Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan, side! xiao zhan meng ziyi
Comments: 74
Kudos: 105





	1. Chapter 1

“So you’re picking him to be our realtor because he looks pretty?” Ziyi looks at him with a dumbfounded look. She knew the moment she dated Xiao Zhan that he isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but this is beyond shallow.

“Pretty AND trustworthy.”

“He looks really young though. Maybe we should find someone older with more experience.”

“He looks ethical and will find our dream home for us. Trust me on this one.” He shoots her his famous killer smile, the one that makes her melt into his arms.

“Fine. Call him then.”

\--

Their meeting spot is at a beautiful modern café. Xiao Zhan drags his girlfriend inside because they are already ten minutes late. He doesn’t understand the complex of girls and their makeup and hair looking presentable even though they were just going to meet the guy and then part ways but whatever floats her boat.

The moment he enters the café, the golden brown haired man stands up and extends his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Wang Yibo.”

The emotions ringing inside him felt like a rapid roller coaster about to fall into the eclipse of doom. A blob of words floating around in his head but he didn’t know which one to choose so he remains quiet.

Ziyi feels so infuriated with her boyfriend’s silence that she extends her hand to shake the other. “I’m Meng Ziyi, and this is my boyfriend Xiao Zhan. We talked on the phone before and he was the one that did most of the talking.”

Wang Yibo smiles softly then looks at Xiao Zhan again but the other is only staring at him. His forehead starts to form beads of sweat and Yibo looks at him, genuinely concerned.

There is a stabbing pain inside his chest, like a sword directly piercing his heart as he clutches his chest, trying to calm down the throbbing pain.

A flashback of Yibo hits him, but in historical clothing and long straight hair. He’s wearing a light blue robe with a ribbon across his forehead, his eyes bore sadness as a tear slides down his pale cheeks.

_Why is he crying? Why am I seeing this? Do I have the power to see someone past life?_

“Xiao Zhan!” Ziyi’s elbow hits his chest to snap him out of his thoughts.

He shakes his head but could not stop the word vomit escaping his throat. “L-Lan Zhan”

Yibo and Ziyi look at him in confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this will not be confusing. Anyways Lan Zhan and Wei Ying, that is in the past. Their real name is the present. It will switch back and forth but it’s pretty clear which is past and present because I’ll use the name from The Untamed. This is my first fic on here and I’m not sure how long it will be. Please bear with me T_T  
> The major character death tag is the past. Don’t flip out on me now.


	2. First meeting

“You’ve got to be kidding me” Wei Wuxian whines out loud as his father and brother drags him to the cultivation conference at Cloud Recesses. It’s not like he hates being outside, he lives on the edge and loves adventure. It’s just that his father, Jiang Fengmian has given them so many rules to follow considering it’s their first time here and he doesn’t want to look bad in front of Lan Qiren, the teacher that could turn terrible students into noble citizens.

The Lan Sect rules ruined his first impression of the beautiful mountain and mist appearance.

“Keep your mouth quiet Wei Wuxian. I thought you wanted to meet the famous Twin Jades of Lan.” Jiang Cheng knows how curious of a person his brother is. He wants to explore everything the world had to offer, that also includes knowing every famous cultivator. Hearing about how the twin jades were beautiful isn’t like seeing it in person. “Zewu-Jun will be at the conference.”

Wei Wuxian eyes lit up as he straightens his back and brushes his purple robes of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect into place. He continues his walk without further complaints making Jiang Cheng shake his head with how fast his brother personality could change.

Jiang Fengmian stops them both before their entrance to the gates of Cloud Recesses.

“During the conference you two will remain quiet and attentive. Lan Qiren is an excellent teacher and could teach you two a thing or two. Cloud Recesses is also not our home so we abide all guidelines that are set in stone for us. Am I making myself clear?”

“Yes father” both boys answer at the same time.

Suddenly Jiang Fengmian remembers a very important information he has neglected. His tone sounds more serious than before, “there is something I forgot to tell you two. It’s to not speak of the second young master of the Lan Sect. It’s a very sensitive topic to the Gusu Lan Sect so it’s better to not even ask about the second twin jades at the conference for you will not see him there.”

“But everyone knows that there are the Twin Jades of Lan. Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji…” Jiang Cheng slowly speaks but his father stern looks holds him back from completing his sentence.

“Everyone in the cultivation world knows that there are two young masters, but no one has seen the second young master. He resides in the Quiet Room and has never left to meet people. Other than the Lan Sect, no one knows what he looks like. To this very day, his appearance is still a mystery.”

Wei Wuxian scoffs, “how dare people give him the title of being the second most beautiful person in the cultivation world after his brother if they have never seen him? Maybe it’s to hide the fact that he is a scary beast and is a disappointment to the Lans?”

Jiang Fengmian couldn’t shut his mouth in time and scold him for his naughty way of speaking. Sure enough if anyone in the Lan Sect overhear him speak like that, he would probably be badly punished. Maybe there are times he should think before speaking, this is not like Lotus Pier where he could roam his mouth freely and not think of the consequences. He has to learn to behave so his father could teach him more about the world and move outside the set boundaries.

He and Jiang Cheng make a promise to Jiang Fengmian about behaving and not letting the Yunmeng Jiang Sect lose face. Under the given circumstances, it’s not like they had a choice to do otherwise.

\--

Never in Wei Wuxian’s life has he met someone as strict and boring as Lan Qiren. The man goes on rambles and tangents whenever he finds something that displeasure him. Wei Wuxian could see the bored look in Jiang Cheng’s face, but trying his best to look poised and fake as always. He really tries to hold his laughter but could not as Lan Qiren glares at him, making him snap back into a straight posture.

Lan Xichen is seen looking over at him and softly smiling while shaking his head at his misbehaviors and Wei Wuxian has to admit, everyone is right about Lan Xichen’s ethereal beauty. No wonder there are so many females wanting to join the Lan Sect, their beauty is surreal and hard to find. With that thought in mind, it really triggers his curiosity about the second young master and if he looks as beautiful as Lan Xichen.

It makes absolutely no sense for someone to be beautiful and hide their beauty. There must be some secret and Wei Wuxian hates secrets. He will get to the bottom of this.

He quickly dismisses himself for a bathroom break, having rehearsed this inevitable speech in his head before this conference. It’s not a terrible lie because one of the Lan disciples leads him to the bathroom. Wei Wuxian feels like he is a prisoner and there is always some disciple trying to follow him, either to make sure he isn’t lost or keep an eye on him, he still doesn’t know.

His plan to sneak off isn’t very difficult as he place a talisman onto the back of the Lan disciple when he wasn’t paying attention, freezing the poor guy and sending him a sorry look as he runs off to explore Cloud Recesses.

Wei Wuxian is young but he’s smart and everyone predicts he will be one of the best cultivators in his generation. To him it’s a big title to live up to but he won’t deny that he is a genius.

This time he knows he is dumb because instead of finding the Quiet room like where they say the second young master of Lan resides, he somehow got himself landed in the back mountain. This is the cause of trying to avoid every Lan disciple on sight and losing all sense of directions.

“I must be an idiot…” Wei Wuxian mumbles knowing that he is for sure lost now. Jiang Fengmian might lecture him but Jiang Cheng would probably try killing him for embarrassing their father. He does need to learn to surrender his curiosity sometimes.

He’s so deep in his thoughts that he doesn’t notice a small fluffy creature sniffing the bottom part of his robe. It takes a small voice for him to jump from shock and try to not step on the white rabbit underneath him.

Wei Wuxian looks up and swears he is in heaven because an angel is standing in front of him. The guy is wearing white robes, hair elegantly over his shoulder, and a ribbon across his forehead signaling that he is part of the Lan Sect. Beautiful is not even a good term to describe him because he is beyond stunning. The porcelain skin and long eyelashes makes him look like a painting that has came to life. So deep in thoughts, that’s when Wei Wuxian realizes he’s been staring too much.

“How did you get here?” the guy asks, trying to turn his face away to avoid the exchange of looks. His behavior deems very suspicious, it’s as if he’s been caught and is now attempting some escape.

“A-Are you the second young master of the Lan Sect, Lan Wangji?” Wei Wuxian is not dumb to miss such an opportunity to confront the guy. Maybe he should've ease the guy in instead of being so straightforward because the other guy looks uncomfortable.

Instead of answering the question, the guy turns away and tries to make an escape but Wei Wuxian isn’t an idiot. He makes a quick bonding talisman and forces the string to tie onto guy’s wrist, pulling him back into Wei Wuxian’s embrace. He makes another talisman, freezing the poor guy so he couldn’t move and Wei Wuxian smiles in victory.

“You didn’t answer my question so I cannot let you easily leave. It’s either you are the second young master or you are an angel that got lost here.” Wei Wuxian is known for being cheeky but this is beyond shameless. The guy is close to him yet couldn’t move but his face bore anger and Wei Wuxian is pushing his limits.

“Hey talk to me! Are you mad because I used my talisman on you? It’s the first time I’ve tried my self-created talisman so I haven’t came up with a good name for it. I’m thinking of naming it binding or bonding after I see that it works so well, or it must be because you are my match and we are bonded together.”

His words cause the guy’s ears to heat up but to Wei Wuxian the guy still looks angelic and pretty.

“If you don’t tell me who you are, I’ll carry you and bring you back to the cultivation conference. It’s not everyday I catch an angel and this would be the only proof for those cultivators. Why would they do night hunts for demons when angels are much more in demand?”

“Don’t!”

Wei Wuxian smirks- this is a lot easier than he thought.

“Please take your talisman off of me and let me go. I-I’m not allowed to be seen by anyone or I will get in trouble. I-I’ve never disobeyed uncle’s rules before.”

“Your voice is so pleasant to hear.” Wei Wuxian knows he’s being a complete creep but he couldn’t stop the words to fly out so freely. It’s hard to believe that he is meeting the actual second young master of the Lan Sect knowing that no one besides the Lan Sect has seen him. He feels like he has proven himself worthy of the title of being the smartest guy in the world.

“If I take the talisman off of you, you won’t run away from me right?” Wei Wuxian asks with caution in his voice. He doesn’t want to let the guy have the opportunity to run away, but forcing the other to be controlled by the talisman isn’t right either.

“I-I won’t run away…”

“Promise?”

“Promise”

\--

“Hey boss, table 3 is still waiting for their order.” Yu bin bumps his shoulder into Xiao Zhan, trying to get him back onto Earth. Xiao Zhan has been managing his parent’s restaurant for over two years since they retired and he’s never seen dozing off like this. He’s always been completely focused on his job because he doesn’t want his parent’s hard work to crumble down.

Ever since his mission to find a new house to live in with his girlfriend, he’s been really out of it.

He quickly shakes his head to get rid of unnecessary thoughts and brings the food to the table waiting for him. On the way to the platform, he settles the bills on the tables that has finished with their dinner and is beyond relieved he didn’t mess that up.

He’s used to the fast pace environment because things get repetitive at work. He hired two other waiters but some of them work like they are still in training. It doesn’t help that Xiao Zhan repeatedly catch them on their phone at work, texting their other half. Only Yu bin has proven him worthy of being a great worker and also his best friend.

After cleaning, everyone has dispersed outside the restaurant and rushed home, leaving Xiao Zhan to settle the card settlements and call it a day. Yu bin, being the last one out like always, instead of leaving, pulls Xiao Zhan’s shoulder to look at him in the eyes.

“What happened? It’s like you’ve encountered a ghost today or something.”

“It feels like it.” Xiao Zhan mumbles and plops down onto the chair, running his fingers through his hair in defeat.

“Is this about finding a house with your girlfriend? It is pretty stressful to take another leap from your relationship but things will fall into place. I mean you’ve been going on about how good your realtor is and all you saw was a photo of him.”

“Hey, do you believe that I have the power to see people past lives?” Xiao Zhan blurts out of the blue making Yu bin give him a dumbfounded look. He huffs his breath and rolls his eyes, “I’m serious! Well I guess I can’t see everyone past lives, but I can see my realtor’s past life.”

Yu bin holds his hand to Xiao Zhan’s forehead to check if he has a fever but Xiao Zhan shoves his hand off. “Look I don’t know how to describe it but since I’ve met him, I keep thinking about him. I also get weird flashbacks of him and each time it appears, he is always seen with a sad facial expression. It’s like I hurt him or something because when it happens, I feel pain in my chest as well.”

His babbling stops when he sees Yu bin’s features, making him believe he’s on drugs and is hallucinating. Usually he would keep these things to himself but the more he keeps those thoughts, the more he feels like he’s hiding something. Letting it out now feels like a heavy weight is lifting off of his chest.

“I don’t know man. That’s weird and I’ve never heard of something like that but let’s put that aside. Wouldn’t your girlfriend get mad that I don’t know…you’re thinking of another guy?”

“I’m NOT thinking of him. I get weird flashbacks of him.”

“Have you talked to him about it? Maybe he’s one of those weird people that could remember their past? Like some twisted déjà vu but from way back then?”

“It feels inappropriate that instead of talking to him about what house I’m considering, I’m talking to him about his past. He’s going to think I’m some creep who is using his job to get closer to him and that is not true.”

Yu bin laughs and gets up from the chair, “anyways is he good looking though? I mean you picked him to be your realtor cause he’s pretty right? Was he really pretty or was it all photoshop because everyone photoshops their pictures nowadays. Catfishing is a thing even in a business standpoint.”

As if in response, Xiao Zhan replies right away, “he’s fucking gorgeous. I mean it’s not weird that nowadays some guys wear makeup right? His makeup is really light though but he’s stunning. He is also really soft spoken and during the talk I kept thinking I want this guy to sell and buy all my houses in the future.”

A louder laughter escapes Yu bin’s mouth as he throws his rag to Xiao Zhan. “I guess his marketing team is pretty good. Who cares about talents when you have the looks? If he wasn’t a realtor, you should probably hire him to work here. Business would be booming because another beautiful man is just what this place needs.”

Xiao Zhan nods in agreement, Yibo working here would be a dream come true.

\--

His fingers were trembling and he keeps hesitating to press the call button. He isn’t sure why he is nervous when the realtor needs his business but here he is, being a crazy lunatic as always and overthinking like a teenage girl.

Unconsciously, the call goes through and there is a soft voice on the other line. “Hello? Wang Yibo speaking”

“H-Hello Yibo. I was wondering if you’re able to schedule me for a showing for this new house just listed on the market? I have all the information and was about to email it over to you but it’s really last minute so I wanted to call you instead. Is there any way I could see the house today?”

“Yes, I will definitely try to make that happen. Can you send the location over to me? I’ll schedule an appointment and see if the owner has already left a lock box outside so they could send the code over to me. If I get a quick response, we can head over there together. Is that fine with you?”

“Yes, that’s perfect.” Xiao Zhan grins on the phone even though the other cannot see it. After he hangs up, he calls Ziyi to tell her about the house he wants to see today.

She sighs disappointedly on the phone, careful to soften her voice so her co-workers would not eavesdrop. “I can’t go see it today. The student in my class is going to stay after for causing so much trouble. Are you going to the showing with our agent?”  
  


“He will go with me. Is that fine with you if I walk through the house alone? I’ll tell you all about it when I get back to my apartment. Are you coming over tonight?”

“Okay I will. See you tonight. I miss you already.”

“Miss you too~”

\--

Xiao Zhan waits for Yibo to pick him up outside his restaurant. He has told Yu bin to keep his workers in check because he has to run some errands. It’s nice working with your best friend because the trust is always there.

When the car pulls up, he smiles to himself when he sees Yibo step out of the car. It feels like a date but it shouldn’t because they are not together, they’re clearly out for business and finding a potential home.

“Sorry if the car is messy” Yibo apologizes right away, “the company gave me this one but my co worker didn’t clean up ahead of time. I don’t have a car or else I would’ve taken it instead.”

The car appearance is not important to Xiao Zhan when this beautiful guy is in front of him. “That’s no problem with me. If it’s not a hassle, we can even take my car next time.”

Yibo gives him a thankful smile as he gets inside the car. He quickly puts on his sunglasses and starts driving. While he fusses with the GPS, he turns to look at Xiao Zhan, “you must be in a hurry to find a house. I love buyers like you that is set in stone about their decisions.”

Xiao Zhan laughs nervously and fumbles with his fingertips. “I want to make your job easier too. I know there are people who say they want to buy a house and wait months to even look at one.”

A small laugh escapes Yibo’s lips and it’s the most beautiful sound Xiao Zhan’s ever heard. “It’s true, or we wait for a closing because the loan doesn’t go through. Then we go through he process all over again. It’s pretty fun though and I enjoy what I do.”

“Beautiful” Xiao Zhan’s word vomit is getting to him again and Yibo turns to look at him. He’s wearing his sunglasses but Xiao Zhan knows that he’s confused about the choice of word Xiao Zhan just blurted out. “I-I mean it’s beautiful that you are so passionate about your job.”

He doesn’t know why he’s so awkward right now because he’s always been loud with his feelings and is an outgoing person. Yibo sends him a smile this time, “thank you so much. I wasn’t sure how awkward this car ride would be but you’re a nice guy and really easy to talk to.”

Suddenly a painful stab pierces through his chest again and he clutches it, beads of sweats were quickly forming on his face and he feels a short of breath approaching.

“We are here” Yibo says and turns to the other guy. His eyes widen once he sees Xiao Zhan clutching onto his chest and trying to labor his breathing.

He unbuckles Xiao Zhan’s seatbelt and then runs to the other side of the door, opening it and holding on Xiao Zhan’s shoulder. “A-Are you okay? If you were feeling hot in the car you should’ve told me to turn on the AC.”

He doesn’t know why he does it, but he uses the sleeves of this thin shirt and dabs the sweat from Xiao Zhan’s face. The concern look from Yibo’s face causes Xiao Zhan to steady his heartbeat and grabs the other’s wrist. “Why are you crying again?”

“Crying? I-I’m not crying” Yibo removes his sunglasses to show Xiao Zhan that he is in fact, not crying. It’s difficult to understand why Xiao Zhan’s acting so strange. He’s looking at him like a completely different person but before he could ask more, Xiao Zhan steps out of the car and moves closer to Yibo, causing the other to step back from the close space.

“Your name was Lan Zhan. You were wearing a long light blue robe and looking at me, then shedding tears. What did I do to you? Why do you keep crying? Are you now punishing me for making you cry because there is really a stabbing pain in my heart-”

Yibo looks around them and knows that the guy in front of him is not emotionally stable right now. Almost without thinking, Yibo pulls Xiao Zhan’s hands back into the car but the man wouldn’t budge.

There is a certain odd energy that lingers in the air with the way Xiao Zhan is looking at him. It wasn’t from hatred, but more from confusion. For a moment, they just stand there with Yibo contemplating what to do in this situation. His training clearly didn’t prepare him for this.

“L-Let’s go to the hospital okay? We can check if you have a fever and follow up from there. We can walk through the house another time okay?”

“I don’t want to go to the hospital. I just want to know your past and why am I seeing it? Are we somehow connected in the past life?”

“I-I honestly don’t know who Lan Zhan is or why you call me by that name-”

At the sound of the familiar name, Xiao Zhan crouches on the ground and holds a tighter grip on his chest. _Calm. Breathe. Just breathe. Steady breaths._

Taking a deep breath, he tries to clear out his emotions but his heart keeps on pounding and chest tightening up. Yibo crouches down in front of him, taking his hand in his and Xiao Zhan feels himself relaxing. Yibo’s action is far from intimate, it’s showcasing that all he wants to do is pull him into the car and drive to the hospital, but for Xiao Zhan, it felt calm and appropriate.

Yibo tries to pull his hand away when Xiao Zhan hold gets tighter, his body stops shaking and face turning calmer. “Don’t let go yet…” he whispers to Yibo, locking their fingers together.

Maybe it was the guilt in the past that is causing his punishment now but why is this feeling so right? The heartache is easing away, attempting to forge a new path, creating a new array of hope.

This is all too much. Yibo isn’t ready and is uncertain of what is playing out but instead of pushing the other away, he looks at Xiao Zhan’s calm face and could see the pain he had earlier disappearing.

His expression is more relax causing Yibo to also feel at ease. Maybe Xiao Zhan just had a panic attack and needed someone by his side. Yibo isn’t the type of person to ever judge someone else, his eyes linger onto the guy in front of him and let’s his hand relax in the tighten hold.

Xiao Zhan then looks up to see the flashback in front of him. There are two figures sitting on top of the stone, one in long white robe and the other in purple. They were holding hands and looking up at the beautiful sky together.

_“Lan Zhan, I don’t ever want to let go of your hands. No matter what trouble lies ahead, we will always hold hands and journey through it together.”_

_“Is that a promise Wei Ying?”_

_“I promise”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so happy with all the support on this *_* it’s really my first fic so I’m just playing as it goes. I’m SO sorry for all the errors. English is also not my primary language but I love this couple so much I had to write about them. Once again thank you for your comments, it makes me happy that we ship and love this couple so much hehe. More dramas will lie ahead for further chapters~


	3. Curiosity

“Mhmm!!!!” Wei Wuxian is beyond agitated while the Second Jade curves a small smile on his lips. Wei Wuxian is a man of his words, if he promised to let the other go, he will do what he promised. The brat also did what he promised by not escaping, but placed the silencing spell on him instead and now his curiosity is drowned away.

_This brat is totally doing this on purpose so I cannot ask any questions!_

“I’m assuming you don’t have any questions for me. I’ll take my leave now.” Lan Wangji couldn’t suppress his happiness, skipping away from the angry Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian shakes his head, a look of disbelief and incomprehension on his face of what just happened. He couldn’t even use his talisman in time to pull the brat back. Wei Wuxian stomps his foot in anger, causing the rabbits surrounding him to scatter away. Suddenly, he immediately becomes aware of his surroundings and gathers back his thoughts, telling him he has been away from the conference long enough.

When he makes it back to the cultivation conference, everyone in the room is staring at him, sudden realization that he has been absent for a long time. Usually he would come up with an excuse but instead he silently sits down besides his brother, not like he could move his lips anyways.

“Where did you go?” Jiang Cheng leans over and whispers in his ears. They are not a very discrete pair but the elders paid them no attention. Wei Wuxian does notice that Lan Xichen has his eyes fixated on him, probably sensing something is out of the ordinary.

Instead of replying, Wei Wuxian writes on the paper in front of him.

_I met Lan Wangji and he is a scheming brat. He used the silence spell on me so I cannot ask him questions! I am Wei Wuxian! How dare he outsmart me?!_

The gasp that escapes Jiang Cheng’s mouth has everyone staring at them in disbelief; unable to understand why they cannot concentrate on the conference. Lan Qiren in particular isn’t fond of the two already, now they’re probably just digging a deeper grave for themselves. When the spell finally dispels, Wei Wuxian moves his mouth around to do some mouth exercise, it’s weird how being quiet for so long is already taking a huge toll on him.

It wasn’t long until there were foods in front of them, in a form of a banquet. Music flows easily in the air as chatters were heard from the elders. Wei Wuxian uses this chance to wander the periphery of Cloud Recesses. Being a bit famous among the disciples, they all bow to him once they see him. He doesn’t get far because he hears his name being called loudly causing him to halt all movements.

“Z-Zewu-Jun” Wei Wuxian answers, quite troubled by his sudden appearance with Jiang Cheng besides him. He quickly dismissed the thought of wandering around Cloud Recesses now that the Twin Jade of Lan is here.

“Zewu-Jun was looking for you. You disappeared so quickly during the banquet.” Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes, knowing full well that his brother is probably up to no good again. Wei Wuxian is always on some type of journey, not caring if anyone stops him.

“I was just wondering if you wanted a tour around Cloud Recesses. It’s your first time here and I figured the conference kind of bored you. If you don’t mind, I can lead you two around our place.” Lan Xichen is indeed a noble man with such a charming character that even the way he talks is mesmerizing. Seeing anyone of the Lan Clan felt like such a rare gift because they were all well mannered and truly taught well.

There was an overwhelming desire to ask about his brother’s location but Wei Wuxian didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot. Instead he nods rapidly in agreement, he loves to explore and this is a great opportunity to. Lan Xichen sends them a smile and leads the way.

“This would be the Orchid Room, it’s the classroom where we learn about a variety of things. I hear that your father, Jiang Fengmian will probably have you two join our learning along with other young masters from different sects.”

“Learning?!” Wei Wuxian couldn’t stop himself from speaking so loudly. He tries to cover his mouth but it was too late.

Instead of getting offended, Lan Xichen laughs and continues walking. After introducing the library pavilion, Wei Wuxian could not contain the itching in his mouth that is about to burst.

Unable to hold back, he opens his mouth without thinking and asks hurriedly. “Is there a reason for the amount of bunnies in the back mountain? I thought the Lan Sect has a rule that forbids pets?”

Lan Xichen looks at him like he has grown a second head while Jiang Cheng wants to face palm his face into oblivion. The older Twin Jade seems like he was caught wholly unprepared for the question since he wasn’t going to tour them the back mountain, but Wei Wuxian somehow already knows about it.

Wei Wuxian swallows his saliva from nervousness. He really expects Lan Xichen to come up with some lie but it seems like the sect leader rather die than lie about such things.

“My little brother loves rabbits. He keeps them there for company and for our uncle to not find out about them. I’m not sure how you know about the rabbits but please do not wander off anymore or else you’ll get into big trouble and I cannot defend you.”

It seems like Lan Xichen is driving the topic of his brother away and Jiang Cheng gets the hint. He frowns and perceives the unnaturalness from the conversation and hits on Wei Wuxian’s arm, indicating a stopping point. Instead, Wei Wuxian doesn’t stop but he chooses his words more carefully. It takes a bit of hesitation before he speaks in a soft voice, “your little brother…is there a reason we don’t see him around?”

“Wangji doesn’t like crowds or people so there is no reason for him to attend any meetings. He also does not like meeting people outside of our sect.” Lan Xichen’s stiff attitude proves to Wei Wuxian that there is more to the second young master Lan than disliking people and crowds. Instead of pestering on, Wei Wuxian just nods and follows Lan Xichen back to the conference.

He’s still devoted to the Second Jade and he cannot get the beautiful image out of his head. It’s probably mere infatuation but he wants to see him again.

“Wait” Lan Xichen calls Wei Wuxian back when Jiang Cheng has left them. His gaze moves downwards, allowing a brief second to gather his thoughts to look into Wei Wuxian’s eyes. Finally gathering his breath, he whispers gently, “I don’t know what you were doing in the back mountain but I really hope you did not see Wangji. If you did, please forget about him and don’t ever mention of him to anyone.”

His eyes were particularly filled with pain and lots of hidden emotions that Wei Wuxian cannot unravel. “Your brother is really beautiful like an angel…” Wei Wuxian trails off nervously, “I-I just don’t understand the need to hide him from the rest of the world. You and him should be the pride of the Lan Sect, the rare gems that are hard to find but is only found in Gusu.”

“There are things that is beyond our control. He’s someone really important to me and I have to protect and ensure no hurt ever befalls him. So please, for his sake, don’t tell anyone about your encounter with him.”

It feels like his soul has left his body. He remains quiet and posture stiffens considerably. “I-I’ll keep him a secret.”

“Thank you so much. I am grateful for your help.” 

Wei Wuxian should be happy with the acknowledgement of the First Jade but he doesn’t. He feels despair because this situation is far beyond his control and is not his business.

\--

Three months later, Wei Wuxian is back at Cloud Recesses with his brother Jiang Cheng and sister, Jiang Yanli. Yanli has never seen Wei Wuxian this excited about learning from Lan Qiren, for he always says how boring and strict the teacher is.

“You said his rules and tradition isn’t worth learning from and then you beg our father to bring us all back to Cloud Recesses to learn.” Jiang Cheng doesn’t understand his brother’s hypocritical logic. Suddenly, he reached an epiphany all on his own, “you better not use this opportunity to stalk the second young master of Lan.”

“What? Second young master of Lan?” Yanli turns to look at Wei Wuxian who seems to be avoiding eye contact. “A-Xian, what are you up to this time?”

Her face glares at him for some seconds in silence, eyes fill with concern that he may be causing trouble.

Wei Wuxian shakes his head and speaks in a hesitant voice. “I really don’t have other motives. I’m just here to attend their lecture and become the best cultivator of my generation.”

At first, their journey here seems rather peaceful, but now it’s clear that his siblings were worried that he may cause trouble. He gives them a confident smile, best attempting to convince them that he will behave well. “I will do my best and study well. Trust me.”

Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes, but quickly putting his suspicion aside. “You better not embarrass us! Father will be really upset because his reputation is also on the line.”

Wei Wuxian gulps and feels a lump in his throat as he follows them inside. He will prevent all troubles from occurring!

\--

Wei Wuxian settles his things in the dormitory that he is currently sharing with Nie Huaisang from the Qinghe Nie Sect. He could already sense that he will form a good bond with the other guy when he sees that Nie Huaisang secretly brought in a bird to keep him company. Of course the latter doesn’t have to convince him to keep it a secret because he’s already one step ahead. Every companion is a friend to him.

“I didn’t expect you would join classes here. You’re pretty famous for knowing a lot already.”

Wei Wuxian should feel embarrassed about the compliment but he doesn’t. Nie Huaisang watches him silently; his face passive and hands still and tense until Wei Wuxian breaks the atmosphere with a random laughter.

He tries to come up with an adequate response, “there’s a lot more that I don’t know about. I’m also here to find my match and have a fun sword battle with them.”

“Well I’m out of that list then” Nie Huaisang waves his fan in defeat.

A look of disbelief passes Wei Wuxian’s face, not understanding how someone would reject a sword fight. They talk more about their lives and interest until the sunsets. “It’s time to sleep. Tomorrow we have to wake up very early for lecture.” Nie Huaisang gets on the bed and pulls the covers over his body.

Wei Wuxian waits until Nie Huaisang sleeps, then slowly derive a plan to sneak outside the room. He takes silent steps but halts when Nie Huaisang’s voice breaks out.

“You’re not supposed to leave the dormitory during curfew time. It’s a violation of the Lan Clan’s principles.”

“If I’m not caught, that means I’m not doing anything wrong. You should go back to sleep, I like to explore alone.”

He doesn’t give a chance for the other to respond before he’s already made his way outside. It wasn’t hard to avoid any Lan disciples because they all had their set curfew. He just knew he had to avoid the ones that are on night duties but that isn’t hard because Wei Wuxian is a genius and is able to bypass anything.

Locating the Quiet Room isn’t all that complicated because he has paid pretty close attention to Lan Xichen’s tour last time. Of course the Twin Jades wasn’t foolish enough to lead him to the room of his younger brother but that’s how Wei Wuxian is able to eliminate every other wings until he lands in front of the Quiet Room.

As he takes another step, the ward placed in front of the room sends him flying backwards. His brows furrows and lips pursed. _They really want to hide the second Twin Jades from everyone. Too bad, if I want to find out the reason, no one will stop me._

He comes up with a quick spell to get rid of the ward and smiles triumphantly. _After all, wards are meant to be broken._

It wasn’t until he gets closer to the actual chamber that he sees two Lan disciples guarding it. If he didn’t know any better, he would think this is a prison trying to trap a criminal, not an actual angelic looking face inside. Trying to think outside the box, he throws some rocks on the side and hides behind a tree, just to distract the disciples so they can check out the source of sound.

The crazy beating of his heart doesn’t stop when he press on the young master’s bedroom door to open it and close it quickly. He pauses his steps, unsure of how to continue and is too afraid to turn to look at the sleeping figure on the bed. He is surrounded by only darkness and it is hard to make out anything.

_How did he make it this far? He’s basically a creep now! Jiang Cheng is right. He will get in so much trouble for this. He didn’t think he would make it this far, into the Twin Jades chambers but here we are._

“B-Brother, is that you?”

_Oh my god the second young master Lan didn’t go to sleep yet!_

Wei Wuxian knows he has really messed up. Immediately, he tries to open the door and get the hell out of here but gets stop by the arms wrapped around his waist. At the moment, time feels like it has frozen as his heartbeat increases from the figure hugging him from the back.

“Brother, please don’t be mad at me anymore. I-I’ll behave and follow the guidelines.”

Wei Wuxian is reluctant to say anything. He can’t randomly push this angel off and escape because he is sure the Lan disciple outside will capture him and expose him for disobeying probably the most important rule. Eventually, he turns himself around and puts a quick talisman onto the other, startling him before covering his mouth with his hand.

“Hello, young master. Don’t scream now because your life is in my hands.”

Lan Wangji holds his breath for a moment. His eyes catch a small glimpse of the person in the dark, and a flush blooms across his cheeks. “You were a brat last time. How could you put the silencing spell on me? You look like an angel but your behavior proves otherwise.”

He guides the other to the bed, then makes his way to the table to light the candle. Seeing the young master unable to speak and move made Wei Wuxian feel that he’s won. The guy is in his perfect white sleeping gown and face as angelic as always but as Wei Wuxian approaches to get a better look at his expression, his eyes bore clear anger.

“Now I know we got off on the wrong foot so let me introduce myself. My name is Wei Wuxian but you can call me Wei Ying.” Wei Wuxian touches the other’s strand of hair, making him bite his lips to not curse out at Wei Wuxian. “You are Lan Zhan right? Everyone knows about you but no one has seen you. Is there a reason they hide you away like a criminal?”

Lan Wangji looks onto the floor, refusing to answer, which amuses Wei Wuxian. “I am a very curious guy and once someone makes me intrigued, I like to know everything and get to the bottom of it. So what is it? Are you a beast or am I the prince charming you are waiting for to escape this room?”

“You are no prince charming! Y-You’re a stalk-” Lan Wangji gets cut off by the hand covering his mouth.

“It’s a shame you think of me that way. I just wanted to be your friend…”

There’s a different look from Lan Wangji, one that makes Wei Wuxian heart soften. The guy looks at him with helpless eyes and he can’t help but let go of the hand covering his mouth. This is probably not a good idea to do this to the other, how did his nosy personality get him this far?

Lan Wangji eyes get watery instead, causing Wei Wuxian to panic and remove the talisman right away. He has a weakness for tears and he isn’t ready to cause tears on someone he has met once. “I’m sorry! Please don’t cry. I’m an idiot for trying to unravel secrets that isn’t my business. I’m sor-” he gets cut off when Bichen points right at his neck.

The owner of the sword looks innocently at him but his sword is in midair, obviously being controlled by Lan Wangji himself, it is his spiritual weapon after all. “L-Lan Zhan, please calm down. I just let you go didn’t I? There’s no need to get violent or cause any bloodshed. I wasn’t planning on hurting you!”

Lan Wangji gets up from the bed, leaving Wei Wuxian to sit there alone with Bichen still at his neck. One controlled movement from Lan Wangji would have the sword possibly kill him so he holds his breath, hoping to calm the Second Jade down.

“You broke several rules tonight. First off, you entered my chamber, which is forbidden. Secondly, you took used a talisman on me again and tried to get me to talk. I also forgot to mention that you impersonated my brother!”

“You hugged me assuming I was your brother…I never said I was him. Maybe you just wanted to hug me, if that’s the case I will always welcome you with open arms.”

It’s probably not a good idea to be this shameless because the other is clearly angry and could kill him, but he knows that the Second Jade wouldn’t do such things. Lan Wangji glares at him and Bichen moves even closer to Wei Wuxian, causing him to swallow his saliva in fear.

“Are you a spy? Why are you here?”

“Like I said earlier, I want to be your friend. I like challenges and helping people. You, my friend, definitely need all the help you can get. A normal person does not get trapped like this. The world is so beautiful and there’s so much to explore, it’s not fair that someone like you is hidden away from it.”

Bichen moves away from his neck and into Lan Wangji’s hands, and he puts the sword into its sheath. Wei Wuxian feels an immense relief wash over him, now that the sword isn’t so close.

Lan Wangji’s hand slightly trembles as he places Bichen onto the table besides the candle and turns back to look at Wei Wuxian. “All my life I’ve been alone. I’ve been told I cannot leave my room and this wall surrounding me feels more like a prison with every passing day. Every Lan disciple only bows at me and then runs off, I don’t know what a friend is.”

Wei Wuxian moves from the bed and closer to the other, but the second young master moves slightly back, possibly still afraid of close contact and Wei Wuxian respects that. “I’ll be your first friend. I-If you allow me that honor…”

The long silence is making Wei Wuxian nervous of possible rejection. If the second Jade rejects, he will flee from this chamber and never come back. He will stop all curiosity and friendliness so that the guy will go back to his normal routines of being alone. He’s been intruding too much into someone else personal life.

A sudden knock on the door makes Wei Wuxian tremble, trying to compose himself even though there is fear written all over his face. His face is deathly pale and he looks at Lan Wangji and could see the same shocked look.

“Wangji, can I come in? I’ve been told there were strange sounds outside from the disciples and need to check up on you. They’re all trying to investigate it.”

Lan Xichen’s voice makes Wei Wuxian feel a cold shiver in his spine. He wants to disappear to save himself from the misery ahead. Lan Wangji instead pulls Wei Wuxian into his closet and cast a spell on it. He feels a wave of nausea and dizziness slowly creeping in his body but tries to brush his sleeping robe back to place before opening the door for his brother.

“Brother” his voice is barely a whisper, as he grips on his brother’s arm tightly. Earlier Lan Xichen was clearly upset with him but now he’s back caring for him. He really doesn’t deserve to have a brother this great.

“Did you hear of any sound?” Lan Xichen’s voice quickly turns into a worried cry when he sees how pale his younger brother is. “Are you okay Wangji?”

“I did hear a sound but it faded out. It was probably just the wind brother.”

An immense relief washes over him as he pulls his younger brother in for a hug while stroking the back of his hair. “I’m always so concerned about you. Now that Uncle is doing classes, there will be many young masters from different Sects so we have to tighten security. I will put more disciples on night guard to make sure nothing happens to you. If that doesn’t work, we will have to hide you in the forbidden chamber inside the library pavilion.”

Immediately after he says that, Lan Wangji lets go of the hug and his face darkens. There are so many hidden questions that he doesn’t dare ask but this is getting ridiculous.

“Will I be hidden until the day I die?”

\--

Yibo finds this situation a bit amusing, with the other clinging onto his hand and not letting go. He should freak out but something inside of him trusts Xiao Zhan, and that the other just needs company right now. Even after they arrived at Xiao Zhan’s apartment, Yibo looks at Xiao Zhan and then at his hand, which the other is still clinging onto.

“S-Sorry” Xiao Zhan apologizes and lets go. He doesn’t know what has gotten into him. How ironic is it that he sees visions of making the other cry, but finds comfort just holding his hands.

“Since we couldn’t see the house, I’ll set up to go another day. Maybe you can bring your girlfriend as well?”

The sun is starting to set, making Xiao Zhan feel guilty that he probably wasted his agent’s full day but still has yet to look at the house. His voice is raspy and throat dry but he manages to speak again, “I-I apologize for wasting your time today. I don’t know what has gotten over me.”

He feels himself blush slightly in shame as Yibo stares at him, a questioning look on his face. “Are you feeling better? You don’t have to apologize to me. I just hope you’re okay because health is the most important.”

“I’m okay. Thank you” he tells him gratefully. It’s strange to say that when he’s around Yibo, he feels pain but happiness at the same time. This meeting has to be bounded by fate, there’s no way he has the power to see only Yibo’s past and no one else.

Suddenly he becomes aware of his surroundings and gathers back his thoughts as he opens the car door. “Sorry again. I think I need plenty of rest tonight.”

Yibo sends him a smile and nods. “Do not hesitate to call me if you run into any problems. I know I’m your agent but I don’t mind being your friend as well. You’re just a couple years older than me. If something is really troubling you, please don’t always keep it in.”

Xiao Zhan looks at him with obvious surprise and full of gratitude. “I would love to be your friend. Please call me Zhan-ge from now on.”

Even with the sun setting, Yibo’s smiling makes Xiao Zhan feel like the sun is rising again. “Okay Zhan-ge, I’ll put that as your caller ID from now on.”

“I’ll put you as Bo-di then” Xiao Zhan smiles brightly in return. He’s grown quite fond of the other even though this is their second meeting. The future of friendship already looks brighter for them.

He just doesn’t know that there are things that aren’t like what they seem. A moment of happiness can quickly turn into moments of sadness.


	4. Blooming friendship

_“Will I be hidden until the day I die?”_

Lan Xichen is caught off guard, not expecting his younger brother to ever question back. Wangji is always very obedient and there is only one instance of him misbehaving, which was playing at the back mountain during their cultivation conference and somehow running into Wei Wuxian. Other then that, he has always kept to himself, afraid of Uncle Qiren and his rules. Never has he resorted to questioning back even if he has been secluded all his life.

“Wangji, this is a topic we should not discuss about. Now go to sleep and I will prepare the rest.”

“B-Brother-”

“That’s an order. I do not want you questioning me about this.”

Throughout his life he is only close to his brother, never has he seen Lan Xichen this cold to him. Even when he was caught playing in the back mountain, Lan Xichen let the topic rest and told him to not do it again when other Sects are present. This is the first time he has seen his brother this upset and harsh.

Lan Wangji bites his lips and looks up at his older brother, trying to control the tears that were forming in his eyes.

“Earlier you didn’t follow the guidelines by leaving the chamber and I already scolded you. I thought you’ve learned your lesson but now you’re even asking questions that are forbidden to ask. Are you just trying to make me upset tonight Wangji?”

Lan Wangji shakes his head and the tears that he was trying to control were falling down. It hurts to see the only person that cares about him being so cruel towards him. If he makes Lan Xichen upset, he has no one else to talk to. Uncle rarely visits him, Lan Xichen is the only one that care for him and sees him often. He doesn’t want his brother mad to the point that he will stop visiting.

A weakness of Lan Xichen is seeing his brother cry so he grips his hand tighter on the side to control comforting his brother. He’s always been kind to him and spoils him, that sometimes he feels like being more strict will get Wangji to listen better. He holds in his breath and turns towards the door to leave.

“The Second Young Master is now forbidden to leave his chamber until Uncle classes are over.” He tells the two disciples guarding the door. “You are to guard him at all times and if he is caught leaving, everyone will be punished accordingly.”

Lan Xichen then turns to look at Wangji, tears still evident on his face and in disbelief that his brother is doing this to him. “Wangji, that goes for you as well. If you leave or is caught by another young master of a different Sect, I will move your room into the forbidden chamber of library pavilion.”

The underground room with no light is much worst than his room right now but Wangji is still too emotional to unwrap that thought. He shakes his head and runs towards his brother, pulling at his sleeves. “Why can’t I make friends? Why can’t I meet people? The world is beautiful and there’s a lot to explore so why am I trapped like this?” he doesn’t realize he’s using Wei Wuxian’s words until it slips past his lips.

Lan Xichen halts his movements and his face turns pale. “Where did you learn to speak like that?! Lan Wangji what has gotten into you?”

It’s rare for his brother to refer to him as Lan Wangji and not just Wangji, this only proves that his irritation is on the roof right now. To his dismay, Lan Xichen shakes his head and sternly says, “I am extremely disappointed in you.”

The two disciples look away from the argument between the Twin Jades. Lan Xichen always dotes on his younger brother but tonight there’s a lot of tension in the air. Lan Xichen could see the discomfort in the disciples’ faces so he stops the conversation, not wanting to cause a bigger scene.

The door closes and Wangji drops on the floor, tears were streaming uncontrollably down his face. It wasn’t until he heard Wei Wuxian’s small knock on the closet that he remembers the guy hasn’t left. He picks himself off the floor and removes the spell casted on the closet.

Wei Wuxian’s face already disclosed that he has heard everything. He moves closer to Wangji but Wangji steps backwards and looks at him with a stoic expression. “Leave. Don’t ever come near me again.”

It was definitely a command and Wei Wuxian feels the harsh words tug on his heartstrings. He still finds it unfair that they lock up the angel with no explanations on why they do it. Even the second younger master himself doesn’t know why he’s hidden away. Seeing him this worn out makes Wei Wuxian unable to leave.

“What kind of a man would I be if I leave you this upset? Can I take care of you till you feel better? Then I will leave for good.”

“No need. I will get over it. I’m used to handling things alone.”

“I know but I am not the person that leaves after causing such a ruckus. I made you get yelled at by Zewu-Jun so let me redeem myself…”

“How will you do that-” Lan Wangji gets cut off when he is pulled into a hug. His eyes widen as he tries to pull away but Wei Wuxian holds him righter.

“This is how my sister comforts me when I feel sad” Wei Wuxian whispers into his ears.

No one has ever hugged him except for his brother, the feeling now seems so strange and as much as Lan Wangji wants to get away from it, he couldn’t. Being in Wei Wuxian’s arms feel so complete, like they were a puzzle that is meant to fit together.

“It shouldn’t be my battle but I feel angry that you are being treated this way” the whisper in his ears is making Wangji feel strange. Before he could say anything, Wei Wuxian continues, “Yes, you are a hidden gem but that is appearance wise. You are your own person and free to do whatever you want. Is it your fate to live and grow old alone?”

Suddenly Wangji’s arms are wrapped around his waist, startling Wei Wuxian that he stands still. He doesn’t want to take advantage of the Second Jade during his misery but he thinks he is just bringing him warmth, something the Second Jade is lacking.

“I don’t want to be alone...”

“You don’t have to be. I’ll be here for you. I’ll be your friend, someone you can trust and depend on. Just don’t shut me out okay?”

He’s known to be pretty naïve because of his lack of interactions with people but at the moment he feels the need to trust the other. The guy is also from a well-known Sect and shouldn’t bring harm to him at all. Their friendship could be kept a secret from the world.

\--

The first class is completely boring and Wei Wuxian couldn’t focus on anything the elder of Gusu Lan, Lan Qiren is saying. Trying his best to keep awake during lecture, he draws instead. The image is of Lan Wangji surrounded by bunnies in the back mountain. He tries to make every detail as accurate as he can and his focus still remains on the picture instead of lecture.

“Wei Wuxian!”

The sudden call of his name startles him and almost makes him drag his brush across the paper.

“What are you doing? Bring the paper up this instant.” The command makes him feel a fear creep up his spine. The other students all looked at him and Jiang Cheng turns around to see the image on the paper and his eyes widen. It’s pretty obvious whom the image is supposed to represent from the ribbon on his forehead, if it’s not Lan Xichen, it’s mostly likely his younger brother.

The hesitation in Wei Wuxian’s face makes Lan Qiren walk over and grab the paper from his table. His eyes turn red with anger and his fingers shakes looking at the image of his nephew surrounded by bunnies. _How does Wei Wuxian know what Lan Wangji looks like?_

Quickly he tears the drawing, startling the other students and Wei Wuxian himself. Wei Wuxian gets up and takes back his scattered drawing and bites his lips in anger. This drawing was supposed to be a gift for Lan Zhan!  
  


“Class dismissed. Everyone out.” Lan Qiren is definitely not messing around. His stern voice makes everyone disperse quickly, except for Wei Wuxian who is currently being stopped from leaving. The teacher is looking at him with pure hatred and it makes Wei Wuxian want to learn a spell that can make him teleport out of here. “Tell me, how do you know what my nephew looks like?”

“U-Uncle, Young Master Wei has accidently met Wangji last time during the cultivation conference.” Lan Xichen steps in, in hope that his Uncle doesn’t murder Wei Wuxian on the spot.

“You know about this and kept it from me? How could you keep such a big secret from me? What was Wangji doing there in the back mountain? He is forbidden to leave his chambers! He is forbidden to meet anyone outside of our Sect! He’s been spoiled too much that he doesn’t feel the need to follow our rules anymore.”

“It wasn’t his fault!” Wei Wuxian interrupts. Generally he should have a good sense of when to keep quiet and when to talk but he isn’t cautious about his actions anymore. The thrill of wandering around Cloud Recesses and finding the Second Twin Jades was all his idea and the blame should be his alone. “I wandered around and caught a glimpse of him. It wasn’t his fault and he’s innocent. I ventured too much and approached him…”

Attempting to lighten the social load of conversation, Lan Xichen comments, “it has been three months already Uncle. Young Master Wei has kept his encounter with Wangji a secret.”

“How is Wangji a secret when he is drawing him in my lecture? I dislike the fact that the drawing is so accurate and pinpoints the epitome of beauty that Wangji has. I’m sorry but I will have you leave my lecture and will notify Jiang Fengmian about this.”

Wei Wuxian tries to control his temper with the grip on his robe. He feels tormented by how angry Lan Qiren looks but he feels upset at the same time. “I apologize for drawing him during lecture but I don’t see how it’s a problem to draw him? People appreciate art and use it as a model for their artworks. I find the Second Twin Jade beautiful and used him as my masterpiece.”

“It’s not that you used him as a model that makes me irritated. It’s the fact that you even met him when no one is supposed to. You cannot follow guidelines and that is enough for me to ask you to leave Cloud Recesses.”

“People get disciplined and punished. I will gladly accept whatever punishment you throw at me but I will not leave. How will you explain to my father the reason I was kicked out? Everyone will be more suspicious of the Lan Sect for trapping him.”

Before Lan Qiren points an angry finger at Wei Wuxian, Lan Xichen interrupts and tries to force a smile. “Under this circumstances, I think Young Master Wei is right and he said he will accept our punishment Uncle. I think it’s fair to carry on with the punishment and let this drawing go.”

Wei Wuxian nods rapidly, honored that Lan Xichen is somewhat standing up for him. He doesn’t know if he should be smiling knowing that a punishment is awaiting him but he rather have it than leave Cloud Recesses and lose a friend that needs him.

\--

“Bo-di? That’s what you call our agent?” Ziyi looks at her boyfriend strangely. The first meeting between them was awkward, with her boyfriend having weird panic attacks and their realtor thinking he did something wrong. She never expected there would be a day they would drop formalities and already give each other nicknames.

Xiao Zhan turns around, slightly startled when she sits besides him. He rubs his hair forcefully, strangeness evident on his face. “We got a bit close even though we weren’t able to look at the house last time. He’s a really nice guy and I don’t know, I bonded well with him.”

Clearly, her expression seems a bit firm making him feel awkward. He quickly throws his phone down and looks at her. “Anyways it’s getting late. Aren’t you going to head back to your place?”

“You didn’t mind me staying over before. Why are you trying to kick me home?” she remarks, voice sounding very upset. She contemplates on whether she made this situation a lot more bigger than it should be but she doesn’t find it fair that her boyfriend is trying to make her go home. They’re about to move in together, to form a closer bond, but it’s becoming more conflicting.

His gaze moves downward, allowing him a brief second to acknowledge how straight forward he was just a moment ago. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. You are always welcome to stay over.”

Her stiff posture becomes even stiffer, not moving a muscle and it makes Xiao Zhan more nervous. He clearly doesn’t understand women. Instead of pressing on the matter further, he decides to go take a shower, obviously tired from tonight.

Meng Ziyi eyes follow her boyfriend and once he was gone, she picks up his phone that he has left on the bed. It’s not right to go through his messages but something in her gut makes her decide to act upon it.

[Zhan-ge] 19:10

Thanks for the ride back and sorry for freaking out on you.

Next time I will try to not let it happen :D

[Bo-di] 19:14

If that happens again, I will call the cops :p

[Zhan-ge] 19:14

HAHA already joking around huh? You seemed pretty worried about me.

I don’t think you would dare call the cops on someone so kind and nice like me. You’ll lose a potential buyer~

[Bo-di] 19:20

I hope this isn’t personal but who is Lan Zhan by the way? Is it someone that looks like me?

You called me Lan Zhan twice but I still don’t know who it is.

[Zhan-ge] 19:22

I don’t even know who Lan Zhan is but when I see you, there’s a flashback of the person that is you in the past. His name is Lan Zhan. He was breathtakingly beautiful and I feel like we were probably connected in our past life. It’s probably weird and you probably think I need psychological help but I get a lot of flashbacks of him. The flashbacks are mostly of the same repeated scene, the one with him crying.

[Bo-di] 19:40

Assuming you aren’t a weirdo…I’m guessing you really did something that caused me to cry in the past then? :p

I’ll let you make it up to me though…I like bubble milk tea

[Zhan-ge] 19:50

HAHA you are so cute. I’ll buy you all the milk tea there is.

[Bo-di] 20:15

Deal~

Meng Ziyi feels her fingers making a tighter grip on the phone. To anyone this would be a normal conversation among friends, but to her this is all so strange. She’s seen her boyfriend panic attacks when he sees Yibo, something that she has never seen him done before. It’s a different side of him and it isn’t normal. Their whole friendship now could turn into something else and it doesn’t sit right.

“Babe, what are you doing?” his voice startles her and she returns his phone, both of them looking a bit upset. “Are you going through my stuff? I thought we trust each other enough to not do this.”

“It’s not normal to be that close to your realtor. He’s hired to help us find a house to move in together and that’s it.”

It’s hard to hide her jealousy, from her perspective she doesn’t find it normal to look at someone and call them by their name of the past. Now seeing her boyfriend’s frustrated face, she can see that she has probably hit a nail on the topic.

“I don’t see the problem of me becoming his friend. What is wrong with you? I can make friends with whoever I want and that is something you don’t have control over.”

She inhales deeply and finds herself choking on her own breath, wondering vaguely why is her thoughts becoming so realistic. She just doubted his relationship with Yibo but it seems like it could make him turn a complete 180 with her.

“You are getting so defensive over him and you barely just met-”

“What are you even implying?” he cuts her off as he gets closer to her. “I’m best friends with Yu bin and that’s never affected you. Why are you so bothered with Yibo? He’s a really nice guy and super smart. Pursuing a friendship with him is not bad.”

“Yeah cause picking him for our realtor cause of his looks and then flirting with him is nothing.” For the moment she whispers her words but he catches it.

His lips stills and he looks away. “You should go home and get some rest.”

Instead of arguing back, he hears a slam from the front door. Plopping down on his bed, he stares at the ceiling and wonders what went wrong.


	5. Secret's out

The silent absorption of his thoughts makes it impossible to play his seven-stringed guqin. The same old routine was something he got used to but right now it doesn’t feel right. It shouldn’t be normal to be oblivious to his surroundings and be in isolation like this.

There are times when Wei Wuxian secretly visits him and tells him stories about the outside world but it wasn’t enough to be told about it, he wants to see it for himself. He wants to night hunt like everyone in the cultivation world, he wants to practice his abilities and able to help society. He wants to live a life with no regrets.

A frown drifts across his brows as he looks at the close door in front of him. He is so distant from people and sunk into a world that no one exists. He has been locked up since he was young but there wasn’t ever a need to question back. Why does everything feel much more miserable now? Is it because Wei Wuxian is so happy and carefree while he has sadness written all over his face?

Wei Wuxian doesn’t ever brag and that’s what Wangji likes the most about him. He tells him places to explore and wants them to experience it together. It causes Wangji to feel soft inside, like someone actually cares about his well-being.

“Punishment? Lan-Laoshi doesn’t really discipline the younger masters from the other Sects unless they have done something really wrong. This young master is from a prominent Sect too.”

“He really went against our guidelines. Lan-Laoshi has been postponing the punishment but when the sun sets, I heard the punishment would be twenty whips. Luckily it isn’t the disciplined whip or else he wouldn’t be able to walk.”

Wangji stands up and walks closer to the door, eavesdropping on the conversation between the two disciples. The sudden thought of who the young master might be twists his heart and a look of deep distress settle on his face. He hopes it isn’t who he thinks it is.

Silently he slides the door open, startling the two disciples as they stand to block the way.

“S-Second Young Master, you are not permitted to leave your chamber.”

“Who is Uncle about to punish? Tell me now.” Perhaps it’s the way that he’s so obedient and always listens, they weren’t prepared to see him so upset.

There is fear on both of their faces as they look at each other, hoping it will give them strength to face the angered Young Master in front of them. Wangji watches both of the Lan disciples, knowing that they both know a lot but refusing to answer him. “If you don’t want to answer me, I’ll go see for myself.”

“No! You cannot leave your chambers! Zewu-Jun will send you to the forbidden chamber if he finds out. Please Young master, go back inside your room.”

The thought of getting locked inside the forbidden chamber has always been a great fear of his but at the moment it doesn’t seem scary anymore. If he were to be isolated, at least he has to find out if Wei Wuxian is getting punished because of him.

“H-He’s going to punish Wei Wuxian from the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. Rumor has it that it was because he broke the biggest rule of our Sect.”

“There are 3000 rules! It’s ridiculous if he’s punished for breaking one when he isn’t from our Sect.” Wangji bites his lips to control his temper but the displeasure in his face hasn’t diminished.

Perhaps it’s from how defensive he has gotten, because one of the disciple speaks up. “The rule he broke wasn’t written on the Wall of Discipline. I-I think it was related to you Young Master…”

He hasn’t considered the outcome because they were suddenly shoved inside his room and the great magic casted on it makes it impossible for them to leave. “I’m sorry” Wangji apologizes after casting a spell outside the room.

\--

A look of disbelief is written across his face when he sees that there was already some bloodied whips on Wei Wuxian’s back but the guy didn’t seem to mind and is kneeling with pride, accepting all punishments that are bestowed upon him. There were many guys from different Sects watching, all whispering to each other what did Wei Wuxian do to deserve this.

Jiang Cheng tries to shush the rest when Lan Qiren glares at them. He doesn’t want to see his brother being punished like this even though Wei Wuxian is known for breaking the rules. It’s just that this time Wei Wuxian isn’t fighting back and seems accepting of this.

_He must be protecting someone._

The next whip that is about to land on Wei Wuxian’s back is then blocked with a sudden blue ray of light. It causes Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren to look up knowing the source of power could only mean one person.

“Wangji! What are you doing here?!” Lan Qiren shouts across his lungs, startling everyone in sight.

The Lan disciples quickly ushered all the young masters from the other Sects out of the scene. Even though none of them wanted to leave, they quickly had to disperse seeing how angry Lan Qiren looks.

_“That’s the Second Jade of Lan?”_

_“Wow he’s so beautiful! Why would they hide him?”_

_“Why did he show up to save Wei Wuxian?”_

The whispers fade until there are only the Lan disciples left along with Wei Wuxian. For a moment, Wangji lands in front of Wei Wuxian, blocking the guy to kneel in front of his uncle and brother. “Please don’t punish him anymore. Everything is my fault and I wish to take the punishment in his place.”

“Lan Zhan, what are you doing? Go back to your chambers.” Wei Wuxian whispers in his ears but he stubbornly shakes his head.

“Wangji, you are forbidden to leave your room and avoid everyone from other Sects. Now so many people have seen you. Do you know all the troubles you just caused?!”

“Forgive me for wandering to the back mountain and meeting Young Master Wei there. He doesn’t deserve to be punished. It was me that played there without your permission Uncle-” before he gets a chance to finish, Lan Qiren pulls on his wrist, forcing his nephew to stand up.

“I will speak with you later. Get back to your chambers right now!”

Wangji’s face falls slightly at his words but Wei Wuxian takes it as Lan Qiren is putting too much pressure on Wangji’s wrist. He stands up, gaze strong and unwavering, like Lan Qiren is hurting the most important person to him. “You are hurting Lan Zhan!”

There is disprovable in both Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen’s faces. Lan Xichen scans both of them; he sees the look that they are giving each other and feels a heavy stone in the pit of his stomach. This companionship should have never happened and he shouldn’t have allowed Wei Wuxian back into Cloud Recesses after his encounter with his brother. He is saddened to think that all the Lan’s efforts were wasted.

When Lan Qiren lets go of his nephew’s wrist, Wangji still stays in front of Wei Wuxian with desire to protect him. “I won’t stand by and see my friend get hurt because of me. Uncle, I’ll do whatever you wish. Just don’t punish him anymore.”

It was rare for Wei Wuxian to show any sign of weakness, but he feels uncomfortable seeing how helpless Wangji looks. He tries to step forward but is stopped by Wangji grasping his hand from behind.

“Stop the punishment.” Lan Qiren says, watching completely attentive how the disciples listen to him and dispose the whips. He doesn’t let anyone ask any questions because he looks into his nephew’s eyes and commands “follow me.”

\--

Wangji is on his knees, acknowledging his wrongs but his Uncle isn’t accepting it. He hasn’t ever seen his Uncle this agitated so he avoids all contact, averting his eyes to the cold ice on the ground.

“I am so disappointed in you. From now on you are forbidden to leave for a year. You can forget ever going to the back mountain or even meeting anyone outside this cave. If you thought I was strict and mean before, now I am just an ugly man. Your brother is also forbidden to come here. I will have some junior disciples drop by and give you food but the ward is meant for you to stay inside. From now on, this cave will not recognize you as a member of the Lan clan.”

Wangji doesn’t understand what that means until his Uncle pulls out his forehead ribbon causing Wangji eyes to water. His Uncle is really going to disown him as a descendant of the Gusu Lan Sect. He thought his Uncle and Brother would keep him in the forbidden chamber, now they really kept him in containment and secluded from everything.

Without his forehead ribbon, he cannot leave or enter the cave on his own will. No amount of cultivation has signed him up for this.

“U-Uncle please” Wangji looks up as tears makes its way down his face. This cave is cold and makes him feel even lonelier. He attempts to rise to his feet and beg but he’s already at his worst. His hand grabs on his Uncle’s robe, vision blurring out so he cannot see the angry look on his Uncle’s face anymore.

“Perhaps I’ve always been too easy on you that you deliberately went behind my back. This time it won’t be easy to do such things. Stay in here and reflect your actions.” He gives no chance for Wangji to persuade him and he flies out of the cave, leaving behind a devastated nephew crying and collapsing on the ground.

\--

When the Second Jade’s appearance has been made public, word has passed around Cloud Recesses about the ethereal beauty the younger had. It’s like they’ve been put on some type of trance and were all pestering Wei Wuxian about how he managed to get the Second Jade to stand up for him. Instead of answering, he has learned from his mistake and found it wiser to not speak more than he should because it already got Lan Zhan in trouble.

“I used to think he was an embarrassment to the Lan Sect for them to hide him like this. If only I knew he was this beautiful, I would’ve asked for his hand in marriage.” Jin Zixun says in a confident tone.

“Like he would marry you” Jiang Cheng shoots back like he’s been triggered causing Jin Zixun to step closer to him like they’re about to battle it out.

Jin Zixuan comes in between them before they could fight because that’s forbidden in Cloud Recesses. Instead Wei Wuxian stands up and glares at Jin Zixun, if looks could kill, Jin Zixun would be dead by now. “You don’t marry someone because they’re beautiful. You would be the last person he would ever consider you lousy showoff who only stands behind the peacock.”

The sword that Jin Zixun draws makes Wei Wuxian also unsheathe Suibian. “Looks like you’re also infatuated with him, am I right? Or else you wouldn’t be so offended with me wanting to marry him. Of course he would rather marry into the Lanling Jin Sect and live with great fortune and wisdom than marry a beggar.”

Before Wei Wuxian could battle it out with him, Lan Xichen raises his voice. “Fighting is forbidden here and you will both be punished if this continues!”

To their utter surprise, they contemplate the strange turn of events and then put their swords away. Wei Wuxian is still very much agitated but is holding it in, he doesn’t need to get into more trouble and continue worrying Wangji.

Jin Zixun takes a few steps back, only to force a small grin across his face. “Zewu-Jun, my apologies for causing such a scene. Its just Wei Wuxian here is very hot tempered and likes to butt his ways into conflicts that doesn’t involve him.”

Jiang Cheng holds Wei Wuxian’s wrist back, knowing full well of his brother’s personality.

“Also Zewu-Jun, if you don’t mind me asking. Why is it that we aren’t allowed to see the Second Jade of Lan? He is very breathtaking and I would love to ask for his hand in marriage. He wouldn’t have to do anything around my place, just sit there and look pretty.”

A punch lands across his jaw causing him to stumble backwards. “WEI WUXIAN!” Jin Zixun screams across his lungs.

Jiang Cheng pulls back his hardheaded brother, whose eyes are now filled with redness. “He isn’t around to fucking look pretty for you. He isn’t a courtesan!”

“Why are you so protective of him? Don’t tell me it’s because you also want to marry him? With your rank do you think you are capable of marrying him? Look in the mirror Wei Wuxian, he is worth way more than you!”

“If you two don’t stop the argument right now, I will ask the both of you to leave Cloud Recesses and never return.”

It seems as if Lan Xichen’s words stops the both of them and makes them go their separate ways. After several hours of trying to control his temper in his room, Wei Wuxian grows even more frustrated. After the whole fiasco with Lan Zhan showing his appearance, everything really went downhill. Is this why the Lan Clan hid him for so long?

They have also moved his location and even if it takes a lot of searching, Wei Wuxian could not find him. _Did they really hide him in the forbidden chamber?_ He gasp at the sudden realization knowing full well it’s his fault that Lan Zhan got into this mess. _Now Lan Zhan is surrounded by darkness, with no one to comfort him._

A small spark of hope alights in his chest as he realized that he had to do something. He could not sit here knowing he caused all this. Perhaps if he never met Lan Zhan at the back mountain, none of this would have happened. Lan Zhan would be secluded but inside his chambers, not somewhere else and have no hope of escaping.

By the time he reaches the door to leave his room and wander off again, the figure outside gives him a heart attack. “Z-Zewu-Jun-”

His face is filled with worry as he shakes his head. “I have important knowledge that I wish to share but I’m not sure how or where to start.”

“Is it about Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian starts, worry and panic clouding his mind. Lan Xichen doesn’t even ask about how he and Lan Zhan are on a personal name basic and contemplates if coming here is a mistake.

“Wangji isn’t eating and the disciple that visited him told me he had collapsed.”

Suddenly everything around him feels like it is spinning as he tries his hardest to hold his legs steady to not stumble. “Please lead me to him. P-Please…” he imagines the Lan Zhan scared, lost, and utterly alone and his heart breaks into pieces.

\--

That night Xiao Zhan could not sleep. He has gotten more flashbacks and even dreamt of the so-called _Lan Zhan._ Everything about the boy reminds him of Yibo and somehow he is in the dream with the other. It feels so real that he could only relate it to his past life.

When people die, there should be no traces of their past and everything starts anew. How is it that he is connected to the same person in the past?

It could be some weird dream but it isn’t a dream. He constantly gets these flashbacks of them together. It’s like fate is playing a game with him. Is it telling him that they were somehow in love and bound to meet again? His head is starting to hurt again and the stabbing pain on his chest is back.

_Calm down. Breathe._

He grabs onto his shirt as if it would make the pain go away but it doesn’t. The pain doubles and there were cold sweat forming across his face. He tosses and turns on his bed but it doesn’t ease any pain away.

He goes with his gut instinct and grabs his phone, dialing Yibo’s number hoping he would pick up. It is late at night but he could remember that it was Yibo’s hands that calmed down his heartbeat and if anyone were to help him now it could only be Yibo.

After the third ring, Yibo picks up with a soft voice. “Zhan-ge, you’re not asleep yet?”

“H-Hurts…my chest hurts again. Please say something to make this pain go away. Please-”

There is a sudden panic in the other’s voice. “Zhan-ge, are you okay? Are you getting panic attacks again?”

Xiao Zhan isn’t ever a person to cry about random pain but right now the pain escalates and he feels like he’s on the verge of death. The sharp object keeps diving into his chest, stabbing his heart out.

“Zhan-ge, please answer me. Actually wait for me, I’ll be right there okay? Don’t hang up. Wait for me.” Yibo’s worried voice echoes again and again across the phone and Xiao Zhan couldn’t open his mouth to answer. He was just so exhausted.

Before his eyes close, he sees the image of Lan Zhan shedding a tear. He wants to grab the guy to apologize and tell him to quit taunting him but he loses conscious before he could make out what happens next.

\--

A/N: Totally canon divergent with the cave entry and what not but it’s fiction lol. Sorry for the late update. So much has been going on TT sorry for the typos also.


End file.
